In the Shadow of Two Gunmen (Part I)
In the two-hour season premiere of the record Emmy Award-winning drama, all the President's men and women scramble in the chaotic wake of an assassination attempt that leaves some victims fighting for their lives. Meanwhile, as a manhunt continues, the wounded drift in and out of surgery recalling how Bartlet's team came together during the dark months of his longshot primary campaign. Elsewhere, the press department is hounded by the media for details of the shooting while a military crisis looms in Iraq. Summary In the opening episode of Season 2, the Senior Staff deals with the fallout of the assassination attempt on the President. The Presidential limousine is rushing back to the White House as the President is arguing with Ron Butterfield about the condition of Zoey. The President becomes increasingly agitated and Butterfield realizes that President is bleeding. Butterfield screams, "GW! BLUE! BLUE!" The Presidential limo suddenly makes a screaming hard U-turn. Back at the scene, C.J. is being treated by paramedics and Sam comes over to check on her. Sam tells her what he knows. Toby is looking for Josh and asks Charlie if he has seen him. Toby spies Josh and goes over to him and finds him holding his hands on a gunshot wound to his abdomen. Toby screams for help. The scene shifts to a quiet emergency room. The head nurse hears a phone ringing, and when she picks up the regular phone, she realizes it's the red phone. She wants to know if it's a drill - in response to Butterfield yelling - "we're coming in!" After he assures her it's not, she pages the entire emergency room with a single code phrase: "Trauma one: BLUE!" The Secret Service comes into the emergency room and begins to prep the room for the arrival of the President. The Vice President is hosting a women's basketball team, when the Secret Service comes in, literally picks up the Vice President and ushers him out of the room. Abbey Bartlet is seen hurrying to her limousine as she receives updates on the conditions of the President and Zoey. The President is wheeled in to the ER and the examination by the doctors begins. He says to wait as long as possible to give him any anesthesia and that he needs to talk to Leo McGarry before anything else happens. Back at the White House, the networks begin to report on the situation. Margaret and Mrs. Landingham look up to watch the TV. When Margaret looks over at Mrs. Landingham, she has rushed out of the room. In the ER, Zoey arrives and talks to her father. Leo comes into the room and the President and Leo talk and the President gives Leo some direction and reminds him about the anesthesia - to which he responds, "I will talk to Abbey." Abbey arrives at the hospital and gets an update from the doctors. She goes to see the anesthesiologist and tells him about the President's illness. Leo talks with Gina Toscano about what happened. As the two of them talk, an ambulance arrives, bringing Josh into the ER. Josh is mumbling about not being in this meeting - that he has to get to New Hampshire. A flashback shows Josh in a meeting with then-Senator John Hoynes, where he served as Chief of Staff to the Senator. The Senator and Josh leave the office, where Hoynes and Josh talk about the campaign they are going to run, when he runs for the presidency. Josh goes back to the office and finds former Labor Secretary Leo McGarry. He invites Josh to go for a walk with him and Leo asks him to come to New Hampshire to hear Jed Bartlet speak on Thursday night. Josh tries to tell Leo that he really can't do that, but Leo wont take no for an answer. As Josh walks back to the office he gets on the phone to make train reservations. As the flashback continues - Sam is shown at his law office in a meeting about oil tankers. Josh comes to visit and asks Sam to come work with him on Hoynes' campaign. Sam wants to know if Hoynes is the real thing. Josh doesn't know but that's why he is going to New Hampshire to see if Bartlet is the real thing. Josh asks Sam if it turns out that Bartlet is the real deal, should he tell him - to which Sam replies, you won't have to. At the hospital, the Administrator comes to update Abbey on the President and Josh. The President is going to be fine, but it will be much more touch and go with Josh. The First Lady goes in to let everyone know the news about Josh and the President. Back at the White House, Leo goes into the Situation Room to hear about activities around the world and at home that have arisen or been noticed as a result of the shootings. The Vice President comes into the room and the National Security Advisor tells the assembled group that there is movement in Iraq. Leo urges caution and gets the Vice President to agree. He asks the Secretary of State what is the best way to get a message to Iraq - the reply being through the King of Jordan. When asked what Leo want's the message to say - Leo responds, "Don't mess with us tonight." Donna arrives at the hospital and is told that Josh has been shot. She didn't know and is visibly upset at the news. The hospital administrator urges everyone to go and take care of the many other things they need to do. The Senior Staff begin to disperse. C.J. deals with an unruly press corps and fields a question from Danny about the 25th Amendment, which she deflects. She also gets a question about using a canopy for presidential entrances and exits, which she responds that Secret Service does not commend on presidential protection. Danny follows her out of the briefing and presses her on presidential succession, wanting to know who's in charge. In a meeting with Leo - the National Security Advisor, Toby, C.J., and Leo all discuss the issue and it is clear that no letter was ever written or signed. C.J. also tells Toby about the protection question, which Toby says he will take care of it. Returning to the flashback, Toby is seen in a bar talking to a woman about Bartlet running for president. Toby tells the woman that she is a pretty good political operative despite having won no races for his candidates. Toby tells the woman that he is drinking so much because he is about to get fired. At the American Legion Hall, Governor Bartlet is speaking to an assembled group. Toby is in the back of the room speaking with Cal Mathis. He asks Toby about what Bartlet will say about the Dairy Farmers Compact - Toby says he told him to tell the truth. Sure enough, Bartlet gets the question and he tells the questioner that yes indeed, he had indeed hosed the dairy farmers but he voted against it because it would have put undue strain on New Hampshire farmers. Josh looks up from the back of the room at the brutally honest answer that Bartlet has just given. At a meeting following the event, Bartlet is clearly annoyed with the advisors when they tell him that he should stop using John Hoynes' name, instead referring to him as "my opponent." Bartlet thinks this is ridiculous and leaves the meeting. Cal Mathis speaks to Leo about Toby and the answer the Governor gave during the event. Leo makes a decision to keep Toby and fires Mathis and the others. When they leave, Leo looks at Toby and says, "don't screw up." Outside, Leo talks with Bartlet. Bartlet is angry with Leo for firing everybody but Toby. Bartlet complains that Toby was the only one he didn't know. Bartlet wants to know why Leo is doing this, hitching his wagon to Bartlet. Leo says, "A good man can't get elected President - I don't believe that." At the hospital, President Bartlet wants to see Josh in his room after surgery. News reports play in the background dealing the fallout from the shooting. As the first part of the two-part episode concludes, Bartlet is standing at the window to Josh's room and says to Leo, "Look what happened." Cast Starring *Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn *Dulé Hill as Charlie Young *Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg *Janel Moloney as Donna Moss *Richard Schiff as Toby Ziegler *John Spencer as Leo McGarry *Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman *and Martin Sheen as President Josiah Bartlet Special Guest Stars *Stockard Channing as Abbey Bartlet *Timothy Busfield as Danny Concannon *Tim Matheson as John Hoynes Guest Starring *Elisabeth Moss as Zoey Bartlet *Michael O'Neill as Ron Butterfield *Jorja Fox as Gina Toscano *Anna Deavere Smith as Nancy McNally *Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. Landingham *NiCole Robinson as Margaret Hooper *Daniel von Bargen as General Jack Shannon *Michael Bryan French as Hospital Administrator Lewis *Pamela Gordon as Tracy *Andy Umberger as Cal Mathis *Jim Ortlieb as Dr. Benjamin Keller *Peter White as Jack Gage *Ernie Lively as Mr. Loch *Jody Wood as Mr. Cameron Co-Starring *Melissa Fitzgerald as Carol Fitzpatrick *Kim Webster as Ginger *Kris Murphy as Katie Witt *Mindy Seeger as Chris *Randolph Brooks as Arthur Leeds *Ivan Allen as Roger Salier *Willie Gault as Agent Michael Madsen *Elijah Marhar as Agent Dixon *Dafidd McCracken as Agent #1 *Juan A. Riojas as Agent #2 *Bradley James as Agent Donnie *Al Twanmo as Agent Tommy Cho *Derek Coleman as Agent #4 *Ming Lo as Dr. David Lee Clancy *Rhonda Stubbins White as Dr. Whitaker *Sean Moran as Dr. Holbrook *Carol Kiernan as Doctor *Dan Gunther as Doctor #1 *Maria McCann as Nurse *Trisha Simmons as Nurse Debbie *Ted Garcia as TV Reporter *David Ursin as Bartender *Matt Gotleib as Military Aide *Thomas Spencer as Jeff *Gary Cervantes as Bobby *Andy Milder as Senator's Aide Mark *Robyn Pedretti as Senator's Aide Candy *Victor McCay as Henry *Kat Sawyer-Young as Sam's Secretary *V. Kim Blish as Volleyball Player *Scott Parrott as Paramedic #1 *Sunita Koshy as Paramedic #2 *Shawn Woodyard as Paramedic #3 *Chad Knight as Paramedic #4 *Tanya Linnette Smith as Paramedic #5 *Kivi Rogers as Paramedic #6 *Garrison Hershberger as Jerry *Peter Birkenhead as Steven *Jayne Lynch as Lucy *Jerry Sroka as Kyle *Jenny Buchanan as Questioner #1 *Harris Laskawy as Questioner #2 Trivia Sam Seaborn works at Gage Whitney Pace law firm in the flashbacks. Rob Lowe's character in the "The Lyon's Den" also worked at the Gage Whitney Pace law firm.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0745639/trivia The law firm where Sam Seaborn works is the John Wells Production building.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0745639/trivia The hospital set seen in this episode and part 2 are the same sets used in "ER".http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0745639/trivia In the DVD commentary it is mentioned that when shooting the scene in which Donna learns about Josh's serious injury, Richard Schiff, instead of using the line in the script, told her that "Brad Whitford died", prompting her absolutely devastated expression in the scene.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0745639/trivia When the vice-president and Leo discuss the assassination attempt, Nancy McNally mentions the whereabouts of various cell leaders, "including Bin Laden", is unknown. This is the only time that he is mentioned directly in the show. Of course the 2001 World Trade Centre attacks did not happen in the West Wing world, although Al-Qe'edah itself is mentioned a couple of times during the 2006 election. Goofs When the Secret Service busts in on the VP receiving the USC volleyball jersey, the press flashes reveal the blue backdrop only a couple feet beyond the patio doors. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0745639/goofs Josh uses a Verizon payphone in New York City during a flashback set in 1997, before such phones existed. Quotes : Abbey Bartlet: There are 14 people in the world who know this, including Vice President, the Chief of Staff and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. You are going to be number 15 . . . When this is over, tell the press, don't tell the press - it's entirely up to you. : Leo McGarry: Because that's what sons do for old friends of their fathers. : Josh Lyman: If I see the real thing in Nashua, should I tell you about it? : Sam Seaborn: You won't have to. : Josh Lyman: Why? : Sam Seaborn: You've got a pretty bad poker face. : Leo McGarry: Don't mess with us tonight : : Leo McGarry: Because I'm tired of it: year after year after year after year having to choose between the lesser of who cares. Of trying to get myself excited about a candidate who can speak in complete sentences. Of setting the bar so low, I can hardly bear to look at it. They say a good man can't get elected President. I don't believe that. Do you? : Jed Bartlet: '''And you think I'm that man? : '''Leo: Yes! : Bartlet: Doesn't it matter that I'm not as sure? : Leo McGarry: Nah. "Act as if ye have faith and faith shall be given to you." Put another way: Fake it 'til you make it! References "The West Wing" In the Shadow of Two Gunmen: Part 1 (2000) Category:Season 2 Episode